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Dear Colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well as the new semester begins. I am deeply honored by your confidence in me to lead the Centers during this transitional and sensitive time for our communities and the regions we serve. My goal is to build on the remarkable work accomplished over the past two decades and to guide the Centers as hubs of scholarship, creativity, engagement, and collegiality. Together, we will continue to provide a platform that supports the work faculty members are doing—or aspire to do—while also advancing the frontiers of knowledge.
As the old maxim reminds us, “That without which an obligation cannot be fulfilled is itself obligatory.” In a time of scarcity and change, reconfiguration is not optional but necessary. With this in mind, we are taking steps to strengthen our academic mission, beginning with the addition of new fellows. For 2025–2026, we will welcome six student fellows and four faculty fellows. This initiative will align the Centers more closely with their disciplines and constituencies across the University.
Our programs are built from the ground up. We invite colleagues and academic units across Duke to collaborate with us in developing new initiatives, events, invited lectures, and conferences. The intellectual vitality of Duke must flow through the Centers, requiring proactive, shared planning that brings together creativity and scholarship.
DISC and DUMESC have long upheld a tradition of global engagement in the Middle East and beyond. From Turkey to Egypt, and Morocco to Qatar, to mention a few, the Centers have supported students and faculty as they serve communities, build networks with academic institutions, and contribute to DukeEngage, Duke-In programs, and study abroad initiatives. We will continue to nurture and expand this legacy beyond the Middle East. I warmly invite all members of our community to draw on our resources and global partnerships to create new initiatives and outreach programs that uplift the values of human dignity, compassion, and shared prosperity.
Mbaye Lo,
August 25, 2025